Participating in an alcohol intervention may be the most effective means a concerned individual has of reaching out to a friend, family member, or other loved one who is suffering under the burden imposed by substance use, abuse, dependency, or addiction. It can be just as important for the person reaching out as for the person who is being reached for, as concerned individuals may often feel that they are powerless in the face of a substance abuse issue. Ideally, it will be important for the substance abuser as well, as the ultimate goal is to inspire a change in the substance abuser.
People whose lives are affected by someone else’s substance addiction need to release their own tensions that have likely arisen as a result of that person’s substance abuse. They may feel compelled to take some kind of action, and an alcohol intervention is the ideal vehicle for releasing the substance abuse related tensions they are feeling. This kind of action has the benefit of providing relief to the individuals surrounding the substance abuser, and also has the benefit of proving awareness and information to the substance abuser.
When a concerned individual or group of concerned individuals makes the decision to go ahead with an alcohol intervention, they should make every effort to keep the meeting with the substance abuser focused on their concerns rather than focused on their own problems and tensions that have arisen as a result of the substance abuser’s behavior. In other words, it is important that the meeting be about the substance abuser, not about the people staging the meeting.
Once these concerned people have gone ahead with an alcohol intervention, they may want to wait and see if the alcohol intervention has had the intended effect, or if further action may be warranted. Further action that the concerned individuals may consider could include informing the